Eight-time PBA champion Joe Devance is calling for the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to find their next level from now on, as the Gin Kings have fallen to 1-5 in the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup.
The Barangay are now in a dangerous position in the mid-season tilt after they lost their third straight game on Sunday night to June Mar Fajardo and the San Miguel Beermen, 97-104.
“We need to have a sense of urgency,” the 36-year-old utility forward said moments after the match, where he finished with 15 points.
Ginebra’s current predicament is a far cry from last season’s Commissioner’s Cup. Back then, they ended the eliminations on top with a 9-2 card, only to lose to the TNT Katropa in the semifinals.
Sunday’s game against the defending champions was a microcosm of how the conference has gone for them: They had their chances early on, only to falter at the end.
In the match, the Barangay were just 3.6 seconds away from bagging home their second win, until Fajardo tied the game up. The game went into overtime.
Devance committed a turnover, as his inbound pass was intercepted by Renaldo Balkman.
Still, Ginebra have enough chances to make it into the next round. And for Devance, their focus now is on taking their games one at a time, as they plan to save their conference.
“We just gotta get better everyday. We gotta take it step by step,” said the 12-year league veteran.
“We just have to focus on the next game, and not winning back-to-back-to-back games.”
